The Purification of Eiserne Drossel
by My Imagination Died
Summary: An alt SCIV. Now free from Soul Edge's control, Tira now journeys to Athens to right a past wrong. However, Soul edge has returned stronger than ever, and in the hands of another wielder...... Oh, TiraXCass btw...*shot*:P
1. Chapter 1

I'm back-this time with something completely different. I've learnt my lessons from posting my DOA fic over here, and while I still plan on continuing it, I won't be putting as much time into it. So, I thought up of some half-baked SC fic to start on instead. Enjoy;)

The Purification of Eiserne Drossel

CHPTR 1: Fragmented Memories

Western Europe, late fifteenth century....

In a deep autumn forest, far from any road, a solitary figure wanders aimlessly through the woods. Her soft, young features were hidden beneath a dark brown cloak. The one thing standing out on her, was a large, shiny blade, shaped like a perfect ring. It hung loosely around her left shoulder, occasionally gleaming from the few rays of sunlight that penetrated the orange autumn leaves. Although she appeared to have no idea where she was headed, or even what she was doing, deep down she had a purpose. She her destination was Athens, and her goal was simply to put her guilt aside.

Her wrong doing at Athens made her reflect on her life up to this point. She didn't even know her real parents, she slaughtered one family that took her in when she was young. And then there was her 'other' family. The Azure Knight, known by some a Nightmare. The very will and embodyment of the evil sword, Soul Edge. During her time with him, she had mercilessly slain enough people-warriors and innocents alike, to put her in hell a hundred times over. At the time, she saw him as being her one true family. But looking back on it now, she saw it for what it truly was. Mindless servitude. She was a useful tool, one that would have eventually been sacrificed to feed Soul Edge, and at the time, she would've been happy to embrace this destiny. Athens always struck as particully unpleasant memory. During her time serving Soul Edge, she implanted fragments of Soul Edge into two children of a female warrior who battled Soul Edge in the past. This led her to have the occasional run-in with that warrior, although none of them were ever decisive. That woman, Sophitia, and her sister who also took up the sword for the sake of her sister, hated her bitterly for what she'd done Sophitia's children. The hatred wasn't unjustified.

Though the memories of her 'deeds' whilst serving the Azure knight were as clear as glass, the memories in the Lost Cathedral, leading up to her freedom, were not so. She remembered Nightmare fighting against a mysterious man in a white rob, before Sophitia interrupted the fight at a crucial moment, slaying them both. She remembered Sophitia standing infront of Soul Edge, poised to deliver a final, shattering blow, then she saw her fight against the sword's former puppet, Siegfried Schtauffen. She remembered there being an emormous explosion from the clash of their blades, and finally, waking up in a forest, with the veil of her madness lifted, along with the guilt of all the evil she had committed.

And so from that point onwards, Tira has walked alone. She wasn't certain if the events at the Lost Cathedral led to Soul Edge's demise, nor did she really care. Her only goal now, was to see that Sophitia's children were safe. Aside from stopping at a settlement to steal food and coin, she kept to the wilderness, far away from any main roads. Tira suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her violet eyes scanned the trees and bushes around her, as she gripped the handle of Eiserne Drossel a bit tighter. Someone was watching her. Suddenly, to her right, something jumped out at her. With a battle cry, the figure had aimed her sword directly at Tira's heart. In a single motion, she spun out of the way, and removed her travelling robe, revealing a bright orange outfit. Similar to something a jester might wear, except her outfit revealed her arms, abdomen, knees, and a small amound of her chest and thighs. She wore lightweight gauntlets and greaves coloured in a dark iron tint. Her hair, once green, had grown in length, and took on a dark ebony tone. She now wore it in double ponytails. Tira turned around to get a look at her attacker.

"It's you!" She gasped.

Her opponent was definitely female, dressed in a blue and white sleaveless tunic, exposing her pink high brief panties. She wore white boots which stopped at her thighs, and matching gloves that almost reached her shoulders. Silver ornate shoulder pads were the only pieces of solid armour she wore. She had short blonde hair, tied up with a neat blue ribbon. The thing that stood out the most, were her choice of weapons. She wielded a sword and shield, quite similar to Sophitia's weapons. The only difference was this woman's shield was red and oval shaped, yet it bore the same omega mark.

Tira stood there gawking at Cassandra, the younger sister of Sophitia. This wasn't the first time Tira had encountered her, yet the change her attire had thrown Tira off balance. Several emotions ran through her. Admiration for the sight infront of her, jealousy for not having such a well sculpted body herself, and something else she just couldn't put her finger on. Yet those feelings were nipped at the bud when she saw the vengeful intent in Cassandra's emerald eyes.

"Why are you following me?" Tira asked in a futile attempt to feign ignorance.

"You have to ask? I'm here to make you answer for the suffering you've put my sister through!" Cassandra responded angrily.

"And her children." She added.

"Ah yes..... Patroklos and Pyhrria...... how are they by way?" Tira asked innocently.

Cassandra took her question as a form of mockery, and immediately charged at Tira. Reacting quickly, Tira swung Eiserne Drossel out in front of her to intercept the first few attacks from Cassandra. Seeing an opening, Tira lunged her weapon at Cassandra, only to be intercepted by her Nemea Shield. Tira ducked under a downward thrust of cassandra's weapon, and spun around behind her. Tira had a perfect opening to slice Cassandra across her back and quickly finish the fight-and her life. However, she was no longer THAT Tira. Instead, she completed her spin move with a back heel to Cassandra's back, knocking her off her feet. Tira took a defensive stance, as Cassandra pulled herself off the ground.

"No really, are they safe?" Tira asked.

"Grrr. This is all just one sick game to you, isn't it?! It always has been!" Cassandra growled.

Tira bowed her head at that remark, knowing that she was referring to her old attitude.

"No. Not anymore, it's not. Not since the Lost Cathedral." She said quietly.

"And besides, you were the one who ambushed me, so I guess the proverbial ball is in your court here." Tira smiled, looking back at Cassandra.

Now, there was a slight look of confusion on Cassandra's face, yet not enough to deterr her from charging at Tira again. Once again, Eiserne Drossel met the first few blows from Cassandra's sword, and until she spun around, attempting to sweep her sword at Tira's legs. In response, Tira barrel rolled to Cassandra's shield arm, forcing her to bring her sword over Tira's head. She easily deflected this, before bringing Eiserne Drossel around Cassandra. She quickly lowered it to her feet, before before flicking it lightly backwards, causing Cassandra to fall face first on the soft grass. She pounded against the ground in frustration, before looking up at Tira, who had lowered her weapon.

"You've gotten sloppy, Cassandra. If I wanted to, I could've killed you twice." She boasted.

"ARRGH! Quit mocking me and fight!" Cassandra cried out.

Instead, Tira chucked Eiserne Drossel aside.

"No, I don't wanna do that. What I want is for you to calm down."

Cassandra, now completely baffled by Tira's behaviour, quickly rose to her feet, and pointed her sword directly at Tira's neck.

"Just what are you playing at?!" Cassandra questioned.

"I know you won't believe me, but this isn't some clever ploy to get you to drop your guard. This is real." Tira explained.

Cassandra slowly lowered her sword from Tira's neck, yet kept a firm grip on it.

"OK then, I'm listening"

"I'm not sure if I even understand it myself, but I think that whatever happened at the Lost Cathedral, broke Soul Edge's control over my mind." Tira started.

"The lost Cathedral...." Cassandra trailed off.

"Wait?! You were there too? I don't remember much of what happened. Could you tell me what you saw?" Tira asked impatiently.

"Well, I caught up with Sophitia before she went in that place. I tried to convince her to come back, but she warned me to back off. The look I remember her giving me..... I'm not sure what she would have done if I stood my ground. So I let her go. Then, there was the explosion. When I rushed back, there was no sign of the Cathedral-or Sophitia. I've been looking for her since then."

"You were there too. What happened to her?" Cassandra asked, narrowing her eyes at Tira.

"I didn't fight her, if that's what you mean. Nightmare instructed me to leave her alone. But I did see her. She interviened in a fight between Nightmare and his opponent, and killed them both. I remember her standing over Soul Edge, and.......that's pretty much it."

Tira decided not to tell Cassandra about seeing Sophitia's fight with Siegfried, since she couldn't make sense of it herself.

"Then it sounds like...... NO! I refuse to accept that. I won't give up searching until I find her or her body!" Cassandra boldly declared, gripping her sword even tighter.

Tira gazed sadly at Cassandra. By both of their accounts, it seemed like Sophitia made the ultimate sacrifice to destroy Soul Edge, yet her love for her sister prevented her from accepting the possibility, that she was dead. Tira could see such and attitude eventually lead to madness, but when she saw the hope that glimmered in Cassandra's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to burst that bubble.

"Well, good luck with your journey." Tira said, as she picked up Eiserne Drossel before attempting to leave on her lonely journey.

"You're going to Athens, aren't you?" Cassandra questioned.

Tira stopped in her tracks, as she felt Cassandra's glare penetrate her soul.

"What?"

"You asked about the children in our fight. You're planning on paying them a visit." Cassandra coldly claimed.

"There's something I must know about them, so yes, I will be stopping by on my journey." Tira explained.

"Then in that case, I'm coming with you."

"You still don't trust me, do you?"

"It goes without saying."

"Good, coz this way, I can prove to you that I have changed." Tira smiled.

And with that, both Tira and Cassandra set off through the wilderness. Now Tira's quest had that much more purpose to it. The chance to redeem herself in someone elses eyes held much more weight than simply washing away her own guilt.....

Writer's notes: And......done. My first attempt at an SC fic. Surprisingly, this chapter fell into place quite easily, including the fight scenes. My reason for having Tira as my main character, is because there are very few fanfics(if any) that portray Tira as something other than a split personality psychopath. So I wanted to try something different. And if this is about redemption, who better than Cassandra as the supporting role, since Tira did more harm to the Alexandra family than anyone else, and it was Cassandra that took the most offense to this. Also, since this is an alternative version to SCIV, you just know that it's not gonna be a picnic walk. So get set for action, excitement, and MOAR GEARS OF WAR!!!!!! MOAR HALO!!!!!!! (OK, lies on those last two :P)

Next Chapter: The girls come across the sight of a massacre, and one not commited by Soul Edge.....

Soul Calibur and all affliated characters are owned by Namco.


	2. Chapter 2

OK then, back with another chapter. Thanks to all the people who submitted reviews. Originally, two and three were meant to be one chapter, but I decided to cut it down the middle, since the chapter was too long. My reason for this, is because I wanna get some consistency with the word count happening with my chapters. Anyhow, here's the second chapter, such as it is.

The Purification of Eiserne Drossel

CHPTR 2: The Frozen Compound

It had been a full day, since Tira encountered Cassandra, before being joined on her journey. Aside from a few basic words, the two of them barely said a word to each other. The first night camping together brought about a whole new level of discomfort and awkwardness for Tira. She always camped alone, and a campsite to her was simply a nice tree to perch on for a few hours worth of shuteye. Setting up campsites was an alien concept to Tira. Cassandra on the other hand, had more experience with travelling in groups. Tira was amazed at her fly into action when Tira picked a spot for the night. Within the space of a twenty minutes, Cassandra had a fire lit, meals prepared to cook, and still found the time to demoralise Tira for choosing a bad spot. Even without feeling slightly put down, it was a chore in itself to thank Cassandra for preparing the campsite. It was unsurprising that Cassandra was still cold towards her. Even as Tira attempted to get some sleep against a tree, she felt Cassandra's emerald eyes scanning her, watching every move Tira made. Tira was no stranger to being watched. When she served Nightmare, she knew he was watching all the time. Even despite having Tira's mind under control, his gaze still held mistrust. She felt that same element of suspicion from Cassandra's eyes, yet for reasons even Tira couldn't understand, it bothered her.

Tira was an expert at scouting and pathfinding. Through this, she generally knew where everything was in western europe. If Tira and Cassandra kept this pace, they would arive at a town within the Romanian territory by sundown. It was midday, and although Tira was reluctant to say anything to Cassandra, but there was something bugging her since she began travelling with her. However, curiosity would get the better of her here.

"Hey Cassie?" Tira asked in a friendly tone.

"Only my friends call me Cassie!" Cassandra snapped back.

"Uh.....sorry." Tira quickly apologised.

"Cassandra, you mind if I ask you something?"

"Depends on what you're gonna ask."

"How long were you following me?"

"W-what?! How dare you suggest I was following you!" Cassandra quickly retorted.

Tira was walking infront of Cassandra, and hadn't turned around to see a slight shade of pink on her face.

"You were in my way, and I acted! That's all there is too it!" Cassandra argued.

"You're not a very good liar. I was aware of someone following me for a while..." Tira calmly pointed out.

"And your ambush was too good to have simply crossed paths with me aswell. You may aswell fess up."

Cassandra let out a frustrated sigh, before catching up to walk side by side with Tira.

"Two days." Cassandra said quietly.

"How did you find me?"

"I'd stopped over at a farmhouse for the night. When I was ready to leave, I sensed something skulking around in the forest. When I got closer to discover it was you, I prepared myself to defend the farm, but when I noticed that you kept moving, I decided to follow. I thought that if you were still around, then there was a possibility of Soul Edge still existing..." Cassandra started to explain.

"...then I'd lead you to it, and hopefully Sophitia, right?" Tira finished.

"Yeah...."

"Well, I'm sorry to dissapoint you there." Tira said bitterly.

Although she understood that the few who knew her, knew her to be a servant of Soul Edge, she couldn't help but feel hurt by those assumptions. It was this sort of attitude towards her that drove Tira to seek out redemption for her past wrongs. Her train of thought was broken whe she noticed that Cassandra had stopped moving.

"Hey, is it just me, or did it just get cold all of a sudden?" Cassandra asked, hugging herself tightly.

"I feel it too."

A cold wind was blowing directly ahead of them. Colder than most winter winds. During spring. Even though it was early spring, you didn't have to be a mage to tell that this was uncharacteristic of nature. Tira anxiously gripped the handle of Aiserne Drossel. Seeing her do this, Cassandra unsheathed her sword. Tira kept her eyes focused straight ahead.

"Cassandra. We need to go this way, if we plan on reaching the next town before sunset." Tira spoke in a serious tone.

"I have a bad feeling about this...." Cassandra said.

"Well, keep that weapon of yours handy, just in case."

Cassandra gave a nod, as the two of them made their way towards the wind. As they moved closer towards the wind, they noticed a few trees stripped of their leaves. The more distance they walked, the more dead trees they encountered, until the the lush gree forest was replaced by skeletal husks of trees. The air had become even colder. Tira could feel goosebumps all across her arms.

"This is terrible!" Cassandra spoke, her shocked tone was barely above a whisper.

"Tira, do you thank that....." She began to ask a question.

"Soul Edge?" Tira cut her off.

"I know Soul Edge too well. At least well enough to know that this isn't it."

Cassandra's eyes wandered around the dead forest in awe and disbelief. The only sword she knew of that could do such a thing, was Soul Edge. The idea that there was another sword like it, was uncomprehendable.

"We should keep moving." Tira said to her.

And so they continued even deeper. Even more bizarre sights awaited them. Now the dead trees were being replaced with trees that looked carved out of ice. And even the ground appeared to be frosted over. Eventually, they came to a clearing, and laid their eyes on what appeared to be the epicentre.

It looked to be a band compound, or at least what was left of one. The broken wooden walls and watch towers had been completely turned to ice. Large spires or ice had grown out of the ground in and around the compound. The ice glimmered unaturally against the dark grey sky, as if the had been out at it's brightest. The scene felt very different from a soul edge massacre. It felt calming, and tranquill. However, Tira felt something ugly behind it. Something cold, and uncaring.

"This is wrong.....all wrong." Tira said to herself.

"Let's check out the camp." Cassandra said, as she headed into the compound.

When the got within the walls, they found icy tents in all shapes and sizes. The most disturbing sight however, were the bodies. There were dozens upon dozens, possibly hundred of them, littered across the ground. All the bodies appeared to be male, some wearing armour, some not. But in their icy state, it was impossible to tell if they were bandits or provincial soldiers. Tira leant in closer to one of the ice spires, and gave it a flick. The response was a high pitched sound that rung out for a few seconds, similar to the sound made from flicking a wine glass. Upon closer inspection, Tira jumped back, startled by her discovery.

"This isn't ice..... it's crystal!" She exclaimed.

"Huh?!" Cassandra replied.

Though her attention was focused something glowing in her travel bag. She pulled out a small blue stone. Its glow eminated a feint blue aura, accompanied by a low hum.

"What's that?" Tira asked.

"Uhhh....It's nothing!" Cassandra defensively replied.

"'Nothing' doesn't glow and make noises like that."

"Yeah well, It's not your business!"

Cassandra fumbled with her travel pouch in an attempt to hide the stone, but Tira saw enough of it develop suspicions about it.

"That stone is made of the same stuff as that crystal, isn't it?" Tira inquired.

"Ugh?! That's ridiculous!!" Cassandra feebly argued.

"If you're so sure, then let me have a look at it, so you can prove me wrong." Tira smiled, satisfied with outwitting Cassandra's stubborness.

Cassandra sighed deeply, and threw the stone towards Tira. After she caught it, Tira placed it against the crystal spire. It seemed to glow with more intensity when it was placed in direct contact with anything turned to crystal, but did nothing else. Still there was no doubting it. Cassandra's little stone was definitely made of the same stuff as all the crystal in the bandit compound. With her curiosity picqued, Tira decided to learn more about this stone Cassandra carried.

"So, what is this thing you're carrying?" She asked.

"It's called a Holy Stone." Cassandra explained, her defensive composure now completely gone.

"I found it in the Eurydice shrine, along with the weapons I'm using now. As far as I know, it can detect Soul Edge fragments, and purify those who have been corrupted by it. Pretty good on cuts and bruises aswell." She began to brag.

"Can your Holy Stone do all this?" Tira asked, referring to the destruction surrounding them.

"W-What are you implying? That I did this?!" Cassandra gasped.

"Unless you can be in two places at once, no. But still....." Tira trailed off.

After taking one last look around the compound, both of them silently agreed that there was nothing else to gain here except frostbite.

"We should keep moving." Tira said, before the two of them put the bandit compound behind them.

Writer's notes: Well, for the sake of not dropping any spoilers, I'll leave my notes on chapter 3(though anyone who knows their SC should know what really happened here). So, on my issue with the chapters, I'd like to know what you guys think. Would you like to see some larger chapters from me? Or am I doing just fine with 1500-3000 words. And feedback you can provide on this will help me out not only here, but also on my DOA fic aswell.

Next Chapter: Local town gossip pieces together what went down at the bandit compound, as well as reveals one of Cassandra's many good deeds...

Soul Calibur and all affiliated characters are owned by Namco. Say anything against this, and they will pwn you :P


	3. Chapter 3

...And here's the third chapter. I've got nothing to say for this part, so I'm just gonna mind my own business...

BAIRD: Y'know, I'm sick of them SC guys bitching all the time.

MARCUS: (sigh) Here we go....

BAIRD: I'm serious! I'll I hear from them is "wah wah wah.... My life sucks because my parents are dead, and I gotta save the world by myself for honour or some shit-" FUCKING SUCK IT UP!!!!! Y'know what'll shut em up? A field trip with Delta. I bet they'll quit bitching about their stupid swords after they've been pinned down by Brumaks whilst defending the flanks from boomers and wretches!

MARCUS: I'll take 10 Brumaks over that Voldo thing any day. That shit creeps me right the fuck out.

BAIRD: Yeah well....... Have you seen the chicks they hang out with?! Man, if they had to put up with Anya for a day, then they'll really begin to appreciate what's around them(shudders)

MARCUS: That, we can agree on...(also shudders)

The Purification of Eiserne Drossel

CHPTR 3: Soul Calibur

After a few more hours of walking, the scenery around Tira and Cassandra had returned to lush, green forest. Neither of them said a word to each other, both reflecting on what they just saw. Tira thought back to her days of serving Nightmare. She remembered him speak about his confrontation with his 'other'. At the time, she assumed that his other meant Siegfried. But then she remembered hearing about a spirit sword with polar-opposite energy to Soul Edge, most commonly known as Soul Calibur. When she considered that Nightmare was simply the embodyment of Soul Edge's will, it made more sense for Soul Calibur to be what Nightmare meant by his 'other'. Though she wasn't certain, there was a high chance that Soul Calibur was responsible for the deaths in the bandit compound. As the sun began to set, they approached another clearing with a tidy collection of houses in the centre.

"Looks like we're-" Tira started.

"Wow! This place?! I haven't been here in like, ages!" Cassandra cheered.

"You've been here before?" Tira asked, with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'll explain later. C'mon, I'll be able to get us a room at the inn pretty easy." Cassandra replied, as she raced ahead of Tira.

The village itself, was one typically found all across Western Europe. This one in particular looked to be on a good trade route, as the houses looked well built, and sturdy, although none went above too stories. There were a few people wandering about in the streets, and Tira was expecting unwanted attention towards hers and Cassandra's outlandish outfits. Yet to her surprise, no one seemed to notice. Infact, people were greeting Cassandra by name, one more thing to attract Tira's curiosity. They eventually arrived at what appeared to be the town centre. A perfect circle with a pond in the middle, surrounded by a few shops, and what looked like an inn at the far end.

"That's where we're staying for the night. I wonder if Frederick still runs it?" Cassandra asked herself.

The inside also resembled a typical Western European inn. The walls and floor were made of the same wood, although they looked remarkably clean. The walls were decorated with mounted dear heads, which indicated that the owner, or somebody in the village was an accomplished hunter. To the left, was a black slated fire place, a few patrons gathered around the fire to keep themselves warm. To the far end was the bar, and behind it, was a large man wearing a white shirt and black overalls. He had his back turned, as he neatly placed wine bottles into a cabinet above him. Cassandra and Tira moved to the bar, and placed themselves on the stools infront.

"Yeah, what do you want?" He asked.

The man, who somehow noticed them approach the bar had a fairly deep voice on him, and didn't seem too pleased about being bothered.

"Hey Frederick, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Cassandra cheerfully replied back.

Having heard Cassandra's voice, the man froze for a second, before turning to face Cassandra. His face had strong, granite-like features with a grey beard. He looked incredibly healthy for an old man.

"Cassandra?! God, it really is you!" He said, giving Cassandra a warm hug.

Tira quickly turned her face away from them to hide her disgust. Though she didn't know why, the sight of someone hugging Cassandra irritated her.

"Hey everyone!" Frederick shouted.

"Guess who's come back to visit us. It's Cassandra, The bearer of the Holy Stone, and saviour of our little village! "

"Horaah!" Everyone shouted in unison, with there tankards raised.

"Aww, stop it, you're embarrassing me....." Cassandra squeaked, slightly blushing pink.

Now people were raising Tankards in her name and calling her saviour. Tira couldn't hold back her aching curiousity any longer.

"OK, I give up. What did you do to get yourself so popular here?" Tira asked.

"Oh, let me answer that." Frederick interrupted.

"Sometime ago, this little village was infected by the evil seed. We were all driven insane by bloodlust. Then Cassandra came along with her holy stone, and somehow used it to return to normal. She then helped us rebuild our village, into the wonderful place you see before you. We owe a lot to your friend here." He proudly explained.

This part didn't surprise Tira in the slightest. It was in Cassandra's nature to help people if she had the power too. Tira knew this much about her, if nothing else. She lazily slumped her head down at the bar, allowing herself to feel the fatigue from a day's worth of walking.

"You and your friend look tired. How bout I fix you two up some ale and some of this roast pork I've been preparing all day." Frederick offered.

"Thanks but, we don't have much money on us..." Cassandra replied.

"Oh nonsence! I can easily provide a free meal for one who saved our village, and her companion."

"What we really need is a room for the night."

"Yeah well, see......." Frederick said, scratching his shaggy grey hair.

"Oh, you're all booked out? Well, it was worth a try..." Cassandra sighed.

"Oh no, I've got a room, it's just that it's a single bed only. I'm sorry if..."

"No, it's fine. We'll work something out." Cassandra cut him off.

Tira was not paying much attention to the conversation. Instead, her mind was enticed by the warm, salty smell of the roast pork Frederick was tending to in a stove behind the bar. About two minutes later, Frederick handed her and Cassandra two metal trays of crisp and tender roast pork, accompanied by two tankards of ale. Tira took a piece in her hand to take a bite. It tasted better than it looked! Tira chewed on it for a while to savor the rich taste in her mouth, before letting it pass. Tira had never eaten better in her life! Cassandra and Frederick continued their conversation, though Tira payed no notice. She was happy to let Cassandra have her moment whilst she enjoyed here meal. However, another conversation between some of the villagers snapped her out of her trance.

"Hey, did you see that knight that passed through here four days ago?"

"Who didn't? I tell ya, I've never seen armour like that before. What was it made out of? Glass? Crystal?"

"Heh, I bet it would shatter easy if you landed a good hit on it."

"Oh, I dunno about that. Y'know that bandit compound that was harrassing our trading carts? Well after that guy passed through here, they haven't been ambushed once."

" You serious?"

"It gets stranger. Otto and a few of the boys went to checkout the place to see if what they were up to there, and according to them, the place had frozen over! Bodies and all!"

Tira's eyes widened as her head ran through the conversation.

_Crystallized armour.....could it be?_

"Excuse me, but this man that passed through here. What did he look like?" Tira asked, interrupting their conversation.

"Uhhh, he had long blonde hair, and a scar on his left eye. Quite a looker too. Made all the village maids go weak at the knees."

Everything now made sense.

Without thinking, Tira rushed through the inn, and up a set of stairs to a corridor with several doors. It then occurred to her that she had no idea which room they were given. Realising her own stupidity, Tira bowed her head, and sighed.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Tira almost jumped out of her skin to find a hand-hipped Cassandra eyeing her with a stern look. Sweat rolled down Tira's forehead as Cassandra moved in closer.

"You weren't thinking of sneaking away, were you?" She said in a harsh tone.

"No, I wanted to get away from prying eyes. Did you hear that conversation between those villagers?" Tira replied, trying to calm herself down.

"I did. Do you think that....."

"Not here. Let's talk about this in our room."

Cassandra led Tira to a room down the end of the hallway. It unlike the main hall of the inn, this room looked plain and boring. A cubboard on one side, a single bed that actually looked secure and comfy on the other, and a dresser table with a lit night lamp next to it. Still, huddling in a corner of this room would be the best place Tira has ever slept. She shut the door behind them, and leant against it, hoping to hear any approaching footsteps. Cassandra took a seat on the bed.

"Tira, that knight they were talking about. Do you think it was Siegfried?" Cassandra asked as she looked up at Tira.

"Who else fits that description? And I'm certain that he was the one who destroyed that bandit compound too." tira replied.

"How would he do such a thing?"

"With Soul Calibur."

"Soul.....Calibur?" Cassandra repeated.

"OK, I'll try to explain it. When Siegfried broke free of Soul Edge's control, Soul Calibur appeared before him. He used it to seal Soul Edge's physical form, creating the Embrace of Souls. At some point, someone stole it from Siegfried, and hid it in the Lost Cathedral. I'm not sure how, but through that explosion, Siegfried has somehow ended up wielding Soul Calibur..." Tira explained.

"But how you be sure that bandit compound was the work of Soul Calibur?"

"Because the energy I felt over there was the EXACT opposite to Soul Edge. Also, I believe that Holy Stone you're carrying, is a fragment of Soul Calibur."

Cassandra reached into her travel pouche, and pulled out her Holy Stone. She starred hard at it with concentrated eyes. She stayed frozen in this position for several minutes before turning back towards Tira.

"I think we should be following Siegfried." She declared.

"Why?" Tira asked.

"Coz if he survived that explosion, then there's a good chance that sis did too, and I bet he knows where she is!" Cassandra answered.

"And assuming we were somehow able to track him down, what if he refuses to talk?"

"Then I'll beat it outta him!"

Fiery determination burned within Cassandra's eyes as she spoke. She was intent on finding her sister at whatever cost. Tira however, simply shook her head. While this sort of determination was admirable, it also made her naïve and blind to the bigger picture.

"I think we should stay the course to Athens." Tira said calmly.

"WHAT?! If he tells us where Sophitia is, then we can bring her back with us!" Cassandra angrily replied.

"Just why are you in a rush to get to Athens?"

And once more, Cassandra aimed her suspicions of Tira's intent at her. Feeling the pressure, Tira took a deep breath to justify her decision.

"Think about this Cassandra. Soul Calibur's sole purpose is to completely destroy every trace of Soul Edge. The only fragments that might remain are the ones I implanted in Sophitia's children. If Siegfried were to find them..."

"But... Surely you don't think-" Cassandra interrupted.

"Would you be willing to take that chance?"

"I....." Was the only thing Cassandra could respond with.

"Then do you understand why we have to reach Athens before Siegfried does?" Tira finished.

"Yes.... I can't believe I didn't see it that way." Cassandra sighed in defeat.

Tira then made her way to the left corner of the room opposite the bed, and sat herself down before leaning her back against the wall.

"In anycase, we're not getting anywhere without any sleep." Tira yawned.

"I guess.... Hey are you gonna be alright over there?" Cassandra asked.

"Best place I've ever slept." Tira smiled back.

And with a shrug of her shoulders, Cassandra began to unlace her boots before rolling them off. Tira had never seen Cassandra's legs outside of stockings or boots. They were smoothly toned in a way that flaunted her well sculpted physique. Tira imagined running her hands over a smooth saturn sheet, as she starred mesmerized at Cassandra taking her boots off. After she was done, she removed her shoulder pads and gloves, before slipping under the covers of her bed. Suddenly, Tira realised what she was starring it, and buried her face in her knees in embarrassment. She was grateful that she couldn't see her own face, as she was convinced that she had seen that sort of 'face' on countless male patrons at brothels. And over Cassandra's legs of all things.

_What was I thinking?! They're just a pair of legs!_

About ten minutes later, Tira began to feel cold. She was unsure if it was coming from the remains of the bandit compound, or if it was from seeing someone in a warm bed right in front of her, but she felt the cold nonetheless. She began to shiver, as she hugged herself in a vain attempt to protect herself from the cold. She noticed Cassandra thrashing about uncomfortably in her bed. For some reason, Tira couldn't help but wonder why she was sleeping so uncomfortably. Suddenly, Cassandra sat straight up in bed, and imediately locked onto Tira.

"Alright, this has bothered me long enough. Get in." Cassandra ordered.

"But....there's only room for one person, I possibly couldn't fit." Tira nervously replied.

"I can't in good conscience, enjoy a nice warm bed, while someone in the same room is freezing themselves to death. Don't make me drag you in here!" Cassandra threatened.

Tira fumbled with her boots and gauntlets as she tried to get them off. 'It's no big deal. You're just sharring a bed.' she constantly repeated in her head. Her focus collapsed when she felt Cassandra's eyes almost stare into her. She felt butterflies rise up in her stomach, and her heart rate fasten. Once she removed her boots and gauntlets, she hesitantly made her way to Cassandra, who was waiting impatiently with the sheets open. She then laid down on the bed, and allowed Cassandra to pull the sheets over her. Tira tried to stay as close to the edge of the bed as possible to avoid any sort of bodily contact with Cassandra. It didn't take long for that fear to be realised. Her nerves shot up as Cassandra's knee brushed against the back of her thigh.

"My, you ARE cold." Cassandra whispered.

On those words, Cassandra wrapped her arms around Tira's waist, and pulled her against her body. Tira's nerves practically exploded on the sensation of being in direct physical contact with Cassandra like this.

"Gah! What are you doing?!" Tira gasped.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm helping you get warm." She replied.

Tira felt Cassandra's hands slowly shift back and forth across her waist. She wanted to squirm out of Cassandra's hold, yet her body was completely frozen. To make matters worse, Tira could feel her breath on her neck, the warm sensation sent shivers down her spine.

"My....why are you so tense?" Cassandra whispered.

"I....I'm j-just not used to being this c-close to anyone!" Tira stuttered.

"Well, you should relax. You'll sleep better that way."

Tira lay in Cassandra's embrace, frightened and confused at what was happening, yet after a while, Tira began to feel Cassandra's warmth pass onto her. And she was warm-incredibly so. Gradually, her nerves loosened up, as she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth and comfort of Cassandra's arms. The rhythm of Cassandra's heartbeat against her back Tira's eyes grow heavy. With a peaceful sigh, Tira finally succumbed to a deep sleep.....

Writer's Notes: A lot to talk about here. Firstly the story arc for Soul Edge/Calibur. For anyone who hasen't played SC4 yet(I'm looking at you two, right at the back), when you finish the game with Siegfried, you'll see him freeze nightmare, then himself. After that, game suggests that Soul Calibur destroyed the world instead. In fact, some storylines in the game suggest that Soul Calibur might be as nasty, or even nastier than Soul Edge. However, I did say in my blurb that Soul Edge would be in my story, and I will make good on those words.

The next main point of interest, is the village. In SC3, Raphael was infecting people with Soul Edge fragments outside of his castle in Romania. At some point, Cassandra came upon an infected village, and used the Holy Stone to cure them. I wanted to use this village as a staging area for the next major event in the story.

Well, that's all I've got to say for myself for now. I hope you guys are enjoying reading my fanfic, as I am writing it. Now, I've gots some photoshoppin to do....

Soul Calibur and all affiliated characters are owned by Namco

Oh yeah, Gears of War and all characters are owned by Cliffy B and Epic(in case anyone notices XD)


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys, I'm back. I realised that I made a boo-boo. I put the preview of this chapter in 2, and didn't even write one for 3. Oh well. Let's keep the ball rolling.

The Purification of Eiserne Drossel

CHPTR 4: The Need to Stay

The sun shone dimly through the window of the room Tira and Cassandra were staying in. Tira squinted her closed eyes to protect them from the sunlight, and burried her face into her pillow. Though she was awake, her mind and body had no intentions of leaving her soft warm place in the bed. She was in pure nirvana. He felt as though she was lying back on a sea of clouds. All the past sins she committed, and all her worries and anxieties felt as though they had been lifted from her shoulders, leaving a peaceful tranquility in their place. This sort of feeling was completely alien to Tira, but the more she felt it, the longer she wanted it to last. Her eyes fluttered open, and she tilted her head down, to see two arms wrapped around her waist.

Her feeling of euphoria literally burst upon that site. She gasped lightly and shot her eyes open. Reality hit her hard as she came back to her senses. That calm, tranquil feeling she was enjoying, was merely Cassandra's body against hers. Tira remembered letting Cassandra share her bed with her, then falling asleep in her arms. Now Tira felt ugly, and ashamed, yet it didn't stop her face from involuntarily turning a few shades of pink. Tira unlatched herself from Cassandra's arms and quietly slipped out of the bed.

"Mmmm......don't be scared, baby...." Cassandra mumbled in her sleep.

Being careful not to wake Cassandra up, Tira tip-toed towards her boots and gauntlets. Her mind was swimming in confusion over last night's events. She wanted to get some fresh air to get her mind straight before they left on the next leg of their journey. After slipping her gauntlets back on, she went for her boots. She got the first one on, but she lost her balance whilst putting on the second, and began to hop backwards towards the bed. Desparately trying to regain balance, Tira flailed her arms about in the air. In the end, it was useless. Tira fell back over the bed, her head landing on something soft. She turned to the right to find Cassandra starring at her with look of confusion and annoyance. Realising where she was, Tira squealed in fright and launched herself off of Cassandra, only to fall face flat on the floor.

"What in Hephaestus name are you playing at?"

"Uhhh..... I stumbled whilst putting my boots on. Morning clumbsiness." Tira said, with a sheepish grin.

"Damn.... And just when I was having such a wonderful dream...." Cassandra sighed to herself.

"Yeah..... about that....... last night. Why did you share your bed with me?" Tira hesitantly asked.

Cassandra sat up in her bed, gave a blunt look at Tira "Because it's the will of Hephaestus." Cassandra answered straight, as though spooning Tira was the most normal thing in the world.

"eh?"

"Hephaestus decrees that we provide warmth and shelter for those who have none. Even those who have strayed from the path of righteousness. By doing this, we not only better our own spirits, but also the spirits of those around us. Sophitia used to drill it into me all the time. I never really agreed with those words, and part of me still doesn't. But looking back on it, they prevented me from doing things that I would've regretted otherwise."

"Oh, I kinda get it. By showing kindness to someone who doesn't deserve it, you could end up making them a better person."

"But in saying that, wouldn't that sort of thinking leave you to be taken advantage of?" Tira asked.

"When I think of Sophitia, I....... nevermind, we should get going." Cassandra replied, deciding not to answer Tira's question.

Cassandra got out of bed, and went for her boots, gloves and boots. Again, Tira found herself compelled to stare at Cassandra rolling her boots over her legs. It felt as though time itself had slown down just for this simple act. Tira began to feel light headed, as her bloodstream went north. Without warning, her legs gave way beneath her, causing Tira to drop hard on her knees. She could no longer feel her own weight, and wondered if she was having one of those outer body experiences. She heard a voice echo in her head. She couldn't make out who it was, but the voice was definitely female. Tira felt her bearings gradually return to her. She looked up to find Cassandra, now fully dressed, had now knelt down to her position with a firm grasp on her shoulders.

"....Tira?" She called out.

"....wha?!....uhhh......what happened?" Tira responded, still groggy from her dizzy spell.

"You blanked out for no reason. Are you OK?"

"Uhh.... I think so." Tira said, as she attempted to get up.

"Uh, Tira? You have a nosebleed." Cassandra pointed out.

Tira brushed her nostril with her finger. She examined it to find a small patch of crimson liquid on it. She tasted something bitter, and rusty on her lips. Knowing her nose was still bleeding, her eyes quickly scanned the room for a cloth or something soft to bury her nose in.

"here, take this." Cassandra offered, handing Tira a plain white handkerchief.

"Thank you." Tira said, as she brought it up to her nose to halt the trickle of blood.

"Well, we should thank Frederick for the room." Cassandra said, as they left their room to go downstairs.

The Inn, which had been som full that night, had been practically deserted. Sunshine washed over the vacant tables, making the surfaces appear glossy. The only other figure in the room, was Frederick, who was calmly cleaning away the tables of last night's mess.

"Hey Frederick, thank you so much for lending us a room for the night." Cassandra called out.

"Hmm? Oh, it's no trouble, really. We owe you much more than a room after what you did for us." He flattered.

"It was the right thing to do. Anyone in my position would've done the same thing."

"Yes, but I don't think anyone else in your position could've done it. Now, let me get your weapons."

Frederick moved to the bar, and opened a trapdoor behind it which presumably led to the cellar. A moment later, Frederick returned with Cassandra's sword and shield under one arm, and Eiserne Drossel over his other shoulder.

"A sword and shield for you." Frederick said, hand Cassandra her weapons.

"And a.....uhhh.......what sort of weapon is this?" He stumbled to find an appropriate name for Tira's weapon.

"Let's just say it's unique" Tira smiled back.

"Very well. I wish you both a safe journey."

"Thanks Frederick, and I wish you all the best too." Cassandra waved, as she and Tira left the inn.

Once outside the inn, Cassandra and Tira decided to stock up on supplies before setting out on their next journey. Whilst they were browsing the village's market stands, Tira had a moment to reflect on the events of last night. She was entranced by watching Cassandra simply take off a pair of boots and gloves, received a nosebleed when she saw her put them back on, and and had the best sleep in her life nestled in Cassandra's arms. For the life of her Tira couldn't work out what effect Cassandra had over her mind. Tira was happy to admit to herself that she was jealous of Cassandra's features. Her body was slim and athletic, yet her face was as smooth and refined as a porcelain doll. What stood out in particular, was her chest. Tira was by no means a raisin-chest, yet Cassandra's perfectly molded bust was something most girls her age would gladly kill for. And somehow, they didn't look out of place on the rest of her body. In short, Cassandra would probably be an embodiement of what the Greeks might call an Athenian goddess. In the end, Tira conceded that her feelings stemed from simple envy for wanting Cassandra's features for herself.

_Yeah. That's all it is. I'm jealous._

She repeated that line in her head until she heard a very faint thud to her right. She looked up and noticed that Cassandra wasn't there. Again, Tira gripped the handle of Eiserne Drossel, and began scanning the crowd. Someone like Cassandra just doesn't dissapear like that. Tira looked to her right down an alleyway, and soon spotted her-unconscious and tied, whilst being lifted into Carriage by several black hooded men.

"Hey!" Tira yelled to get their attention.

They immediately noticed, and each drew longswords from their hilts in response.

"Shit! Get her outta here! We'll buy you some time!" One of the hooded men urgently ordered.

On that order, two of the men raced around to the carriage. One jumped into the back, and the other, on the horse, which took off in a cloud of dust. Tira attempted to go after them, but was cut off by the remaining three men who attacked simultaneously. Tira blocked all three attacks before backflipping to give herself some space. She adjusted her stance for battle, and the three hooded men did likewise. These men were no mere sex starved bandits. They were able to get the drop on Cassandra, which is no easy feat in itself. They conducted themselves discreetly in kidnapping Cassandra, and were now looking to engage Tira in an ordered and methodical fashion. These men were professionals with a much higher agenda.

"Wha- What kinda weapon is that?!" One of the men asked.

"Doesn't matter. Let's keep formation, and let her come to us. Do not let her pass." The one in the middle replied, who appeared to be the leader.

A defensive strategy. They obviously didn't wanna chance trying to kill Tira quickly. If they failed, then she would have time to catch up with the carriage. She still needed to finish them quickly. Tira narrowed her eyes, and chucked Eiserne Drossel at the one on the left before sprinting directly after it. He shifted his sword horizontally, and with a loud clang, prevented Eiserne Drossel from being lodged into his chest. Tira was right behind it however. As Eiserne Drossel bounced off of his blade, Tira immediately caught it, before sliding under them to attempt to remove their feet. However, both men backflipped to avoid Eiserne Drossel. Tira looked up to see the leader with his sword held back, ready to impale her in the ground. With the momentum from her slide, Tira planted both feet into the leader's gut, breaking his attack and sending him airborne. She rolled gracefully back to her feet, whilst the leader landed with a thud next to his men.

"Sir? Are you OK?" one of them asked, as they helped him to his feet.

"I'm fine. Just stick to the plan."

Again, they prepared themselves for defence. Tira again charged at them, this time running across the right wall. The subordinates attempted to counter her as she jumped off, but she swung Eiserne Drossel with such force that they were thrown back upon contact with their blades. This left Tira and the leader to trade blows with each other. On the leader's tenth attack, he violently pulled off a backhand swing, which Tira bent backwards to avoid. As she watched the blade glide over her face, she transferred into another backlip kick, which pitched the leader airborne from the chin. She needed him alive if she was to find out where Cassandra was being taken to.

Again, with the grace of a romanian gymnast, Tira brought herself back to her feet to face the two subordinates, who had recovered from the previous attack. Both of them Drew their swords back, ready to lunge at Tira. She smiled in response, knowing she could finish them in the next move. As they closed the distance, they both attempted to thrust their swords at Tira's abdomen. As they did this, Tira jumped back, but held Eiserne Drossel forward for the two swords to travel through the loop. As they began to travel through the centre, Tira flicked Eiserned Drossel up, quickly dislodging both swords from their wielder's hands. Before they could react, Tira brought Eiserne Drossel across both of their necks. Blood jetted out from their headless bodies as they collapsed in a heap.

The leader's composure had now changed. His eyes were now filled with fear and desperation. He quickly took a few steps back as Tira began to approach him. Suddenly, he sheathed his blade, and pulled out a dull black ball. A smoke bomb. Tira had seen this tactic before. The leader chucked the smoke bomb at Tira, It detonated at her feet, blanketing the alleyway with thick, grey clouds. The leader turned and to the other clearing of the alleyway, completely unaware that Tira was stalking him from the rooftops. It took only a few seconds for her to catch up with him. She overtook him, and then leapt down. The leader looked up at the last second to see Tira's figure descending upon him. In a panic, he unsheathed his blade, only to have Tira's knees crash head on with his face. The thunderous impact caused him to drop his blade. To make matters worse, he landed hard on the back of his head, causing imense pain to throb all around his head. Tira then plucked him up from the neck, and held him off his feet against the wall.

"Where are they taking her?" Tira growled.

"Fuck you, bitch! I'll die before I give you answers." The leader defiantly responded, with a spit of blood in Tira's face.

Tira looked away from him momentarily to quell the simmering rage she was feeling. Slowly, she turned her head back towards the leader, sporting a cold grin on her face.

"If you wish, we can do it your way..." Tira started.

On those words, Tira held eiserne drossel between his legs, close enough for it to brush against his groin region. The leader's defiant attitude shattered like glass once he realised Tira's intentions. Now, he began to whimper uncontrollably, as his body began to stiffen with terror.

"But you should know that your way will be so 'difficult'. Especially for you." She finished, starring straight into the leader's eyes.

"Fine!.... Fine. I'll talk. My men are heading north with her, to a mansion!" He quickly explained.

"What do you want with her?" Tira continued her interrogation.

"WE, want nothing! We're just hired mercs!"

"Then who hired you? And Why?"

"Why do you care? I've told you where we're taking your friend!" The leader argued.

Tira looked down at Eiserne Drossel to remind him of the compromising position he was in.

"S-Sorel! Raphael Sorel! We've been working with him for a few months now. Your friend was kidnapped coz of her holy stone... or whatever you call it."

Tira's eyes widened at the mention of Raphael's name.

"Raphael Sorel?! You work for scum like that?!" Tira roared.

"It sounds like you know who I'm talking about. Then.... surely you realise that your friend is as good as dead." The leader sighed.

Tira had heard enough.

In an outburst of anger, she threw a right hand over the leader's face, finally knocking him unconscious. The villagers could find him, and decide his fate-he was no longer Tira's concern. She leapt back on to the rooftops, and swiftly made her exit from the city. If the leader was telling the truth, then Cassandra was in grave danger...

WRITER'S NOTES: OK, got that one done(finally). Thought I might mix things up with a fight scene here. After all, what's an SC fic without em, right? So now we have a kidnapping scenario. It might be cliché, but I think it might work, since dangerous situations often bring people closer together. Raphael should be perfect for this, coz not only does he have ambitions for the Holy stone in SCIV, but also has some history with Cassandra. Well, I'll try and update this as soon as I can. But Prototype and Red Faction Guerilla have to stop being awesome first. XD.

Next Chapter: Tira breaks into Sorel's mansion to rescue Cassandra, but she doesn't go in unoticed.

Disclaimer notice: Soul Calibur, and all affiliated characters are owned by Namco..........and your mum.


	5. Chapter 5

BAIRD: Yo, Marcus. What did ya think of that fight scene.

MARCUS: I dunno...... I've had more fun fighting wretches

NAGISA: HAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!

BAIRD: AH!

MARCUS: Who the hell are you?

NAGISA: I'm Nagisa Aoi! I'm in my fourth year at 's Girls College!

MARCUS: Great. A cutesy anime girl. This ain't the usual kawaii scene you're into. A few people have died here already.

NAGISA: Oh? And what would you know about cutesy? Shouldn't you two be out eating lions or cracking one-liners at your headshots?

BAIRD: As it turns out, we have nothing better to do. So, why don't you fuck off and shout desu a thousand times in someone's ear. Preferrably not mine.

NAGISA: Make me.

BAIRD: Revs up his Lancer.

NAGISA: Mine's bigger. *Draws out a boomer shot*

BAIRD: Oo.....Kay.......*goes pale*

The Purification of Eiserne Drossel

CHPTR 5: Rescue Pt.1

It had been a good two hours since Tira left the town to track down the men who kidnapped Cassandra. Tracking and pathfinding came naturally to her. Not as a skill mastered through hard work and training, but that was more of a natural instinct. This was probably one of the main reasons Nightmare found use for her back in those days. Tira tirelessly traced the path left by their horse at a similar speed. Initially, the path had kept to the main road, but then veered off into some thick forest. Tira was forced to go to branch level to maintain her speed. She lept from branch to branch, whilst taking quick mental pictures of the hoove prints embedded in the ground. Physically, she should've been burnt out ages ago. Yet her concern for Cassandra's safety spurred her on.

Though Tira had never met Raphael face to face, she learnt enough about him though Nightmare's knowledge. Nightmare had encountered him at Ostrheinsburg chapel. Although he was quite cunning in battle, he was clearly no match for Nightmare. He suffered a mortal wound at the hands of Nightmare, and it should've ended there. Yet just as Nightmare was about to deliver the killing blow, an internal struggle erupted within him. Raphael, seeing an opening, delivered a killing blow of his own to Nightmare, and escaped. Essentially, it was Raphael who was responsible for releasing Siegfried from Nightmare's control. At some point, Nightmare had discovered that Raphael had become infected with Soul Edge because of his wound, yet somehow he retained his willpower through it. Despite the uniqueness of his infection, Nightmare had decided not to look into it, putting it down to his 'insignificance'.

The rest, she'd heard from listening into the locals from the shadows. Some stories suggested that he would sack entire villages just for a few slaves. Others revealed that he could drive entire towns mad just by simply being there. Few stories even theorised that he would only target strong-willed females simply for the pleasure of forcing them to submit to his will. None of the stories mentioned him by name, instead they referred to him as something called 'Nosferatu'. The more she thought about it, the more adrenalin flowed through her veins. Every second Tira wasted was an extra second Raphael had to break Cassandra. Tira could not afford this to happen-the only way for her to truly achieve atonement, was through Cassandra's forgiveness.

Tira maintained her speed through the forest for another full hour. Her speed caused the trees around her distort in motion blur. The only thing working faster than her body, was her mind, as it constantly calculated both the next branch, and the path left by the bandits. Eventually, a bright light ahead of her indicated that she would be leaving the forest soon. She leapt off the last, and rolled into a landing at a clearing. Tira's pace paused for that split second, and suddenly the three hours worth of fatigue she'd been racing ahead of fell upon her with the weight of the world. Every vain in her body pulsated furiously. Her lungs felt like sacks of iron, as every breath felt like a chore. Her heart pounded rapidly like a thousand war drums. And her body was forced to the ground through pain so intense, that it even dulled her thoughts.

It took over five minutes for Tira's body to return to a functionable state. Helping herself back to her feet, she began to observe her surroundings. Flags and banners had been lodged into the ground. The Romanian two headed eagle was still visible amongst the dusty, worn out and tattered fabric. Roughly four trebuchets(or what was left of them) surrounded a small wooden platform, which looked to be a command post in it's earlier life. Beyond that, the land sloped downhill, completely devoid of any plant life. Skeletons littered the ground here and there. Some still wearing armour, some not. It was then that Tira set her sights on the mighty citadel beyond that.

To call the building massive, would be an understatement. It towered-no, dwarfed the famous Notre-Dame many times over. Its pearly white walls made it stand out as a beacon of beauty, contrasting the wasteland that surrounded it. Tira was unsure exactly what the building was. It was too big to simply be a nobleman's mansion. General shape and design resembled more of a cathedral then a castle, yet there weren't any christian adornments to truly call it as such. What she was sure of however, is that she would find Cassandra inside.

Still reeling from her three hour rush, she began to wonder why such a place was surrounded by death and destruction. Then it hit her. Raphael had supposedly figured out a way to infect villages like the one she left with Soul Edge's Curse, and control the inhabitants. The problem had become so bad, that the Romanian army had been called into action to quell the threat. The Romanian forces discovered the source of the infestation, and laid siege to Raphael's abode. For three days, the Army fought a long and grueling battle with the infected citizens before being forced to pull out. Not long after that, the infected had suddenly returned to normal(about the same time that Cassandra arrived with her holy stone).

Tira was still recovering from her sprint. And with the sun still up, it would be foolish to make her move. Part of Tira wanted to push on and get Cassandra out of that place as soon as possible. But for common sense prevailed in the end, so Tira decided to recover her strength and make her move as soon as the sun went down, or at least until there was enough shade to conceal herself with.

_Cassandra. Hold out for just a little while longer._

Several hours slipped by until eventually, the sun crept behind the citadel. The once beautiful bastion now casted an omninous shadow across the landscape. By this time, Tira had now recovered to full strength. It was time to make her move. With a deep breath, Tira advanced towards the citadel. Once in the direct vicinity of the building, Tira began to feel overwhelmed when she looked directly up at it. As she regained her composure, she spotted a small brass door down the far end of the building. Upon approaching it, she examined briefly, before raising Eiserne Drossel over her head to slash at the small gap between the door and the frame. A second later, the brass door creaked open. Tira then proceeded inside, keeping Eiserne Drossel at the ready, just in case.

Tira crept through a maze of dimly lit stone corridors. The heavy dust and cobwebs that permeated the area suggested that no one had been down here for years. There were absolutely no distinguishing features between the rooms and corridors. Tira felt as though she'd past the same wine cellar for the seventh time. Just as Tira's patience was about to cave in, she heard some pain filled groans. She followed the noise until she came upon a site that she was all too familiar with.

Dungeon cells. The classic iron bar design. Tira now understood why the corridors were so poorly lit. Raphael was using the darkness to break their wills. And by the way their gaunt frames mindlessly shuffled back and forth, it looked like he succeeded. Tira silently crept through the corridors, whilst checking every cell. There was a small chance that Tira might actually find Cassandra inside one of the cells, though Tira's instinct told her that Raphael would have 'special plans' for her. After a moment of careful searching, she came across a room that was better lit then most of the others. The room appeared to be an armoury of sorts, housing a basic assortment of swords and bows. There were two men inside the room, both dressed in the same attire as the men who kidnapped Cassandra. One had sat himself down at a table nursing a tankard, whilst the other stood examining a short sword of Grecian design which looked remarkably like Cassandra's. Whilst sticking to the shadows, Tira took a more careful glance at the room. This time, she noticed Cassandra's shield carefully proped on one of the shelves. Escaping would be easier if they were both armed, so Tira decided to wait until the right moment to seize Cassandra's weapons. Just as she was about to make her move, the guards started a conversation.

"So, what do you think this'll fetch on the market?" The guard examining the sword asked.

"Hmmm...... What sorta steel is it?" The other one replied.

"Dunno....... Could be mithril....... but.........too polished maybe?"

"Well, if it's mithril, it should fetch a good price on the market. Your first problem of course, is getting that outta the mansion without Raphael noticing. He specifically wanted those in his private quarters."

"Ah, screw him. This job has already costed us more than it's worth. For three months we've sat here and twiddled our thumbs. And it costed us three guys just to nab that wench he was after."

"Hey, speaking of which, what cell did we lock her in again?"

"We didn't. Raphael immediately ordered her to be taken to a guest room. She's an 'honourary guest.'"

The man at the table sighed deeply in response to his comrade's comment.

"Poor, poor girl. We should've just killed her and taken the holy stone. Would've been better for her."

"Thing is that she's the only one who knows how to make it tick."

"Well, I hope this wraps up soon. Even Master Sergei has limits to his patience."

Tira had heard enough. Without warning, She launched Eiserne Drossel out of the darkness like a boomerang. The man sitting at the table only had enough time to turn his head before Eiserne Drossel ran it's course through his neck. The man holding Cassandra's sword saw it coming, and used it to prevent Eiserne Drossel from taking his head. At the very moment of impact, Tira leapt out from the darkness to sweep him off his feet with her left leg. Before he even had time to get up, Tira had Eiserne Drossel held to his neck. She slammed her heel down on her weapon, and the man was no more. She then quickly gathered Cassandra's weapons, holding the sword in her right hand and tucking the shield underneath her arm. With the extra gear she was carrying, fighting would become awkward. She resolved to avoid combat until she found Cassandra, and moved on.

In a stroke of luck, Tira found a flight of stairs. Soon the musty corridors of the dungeon became beautifully crafted hallways of the mansion proper. Some were lined with suits of armour each side. Others featured expensive paintings adorning the walls. Almost all of them had large chandoliers hanging from the walls, and thick red rugs smoothly laid out on the floors.

With an intricate layout of rooms, hallways, and staircases spread out in such a large place, it would be easy for one to get lost-and Tira was exactly that. Despite the amount of stairs she climbed, she didn't feel as though she was getting any closer to Cassandra. On top of that, More of those black robed men guarded the halls. This was no problem to Tira however, since silent infiltration was also one of her natural talents. Just as she was about to turn a corner, she spotted another one of those men, but this one looked different to the others.

He wore robes similar to the others, only his looked more like a coat instead. Underneath is coat, he wore a heavy set chestplate, gauntlets and boots. Jet black in colour and so shiny, that even the dimest light source looked like the moonlight's reflection on them. Unlike the others, he had no hood, so his long silver hair flowed freely. He had a deep scar on the left cheek of his face. A face that looked fairly young, yet showed the features of someone who didn't even know how to smile. And his steely grey eyes looked as though hell had become a common sight for them. Tira quickly ducked into an unlit room as another black robed man approached him.

"Report." the silver haired man coldly ordered.

"As far as we know, he's discovered nothing on how the Holy Stone works, Master Sergei. He hasn't even bothered to interrogate the girl yet."

"Chauvanistic pig!" Sergei growled, barely containing his frustration.

"His only interest in that girl is to make her some sort of pet over some grudge. It shouldn't matter whether or not we hide our observations from him. Their past encounter should make it blatantly obvious that she's the key to unlocking its power!"

"Your orders sir?" The other robed man asked.

Sergei rubbed his forehead in silence for a moment.

"How are our preparations for departure?"

"We should be ready to leave by daybreak."

"Bring the girl to me. If Raphael wants his prize so badly, he'll have to be prepared to bargain for it." Sergei commanded.

"Master Sergei!" Another man shouted, running towards him.

"We've found two of our own dead in the Dungeons sir! The girl's weapons are missing!" He informed, whilst trying to catch his breath."

"So...... The girl's companion has come for her. This is too perfect. Change of plan. Get the word out. I want everyone ready to carry out the last errand on my command. We end this charade tonight!" Sergei powerfully exclaimed the last sentence.

"SIR!" The two men replied with a bow.

And with that, they each went their separate ways. As they were, things were looking uncertain for Tira. She was prepared for her presence to be discovered in the mansion. But it seemed as though this Sergei had actually anticipated that she would come. On the other hand, Sergei had different plans for Cassandra, and was not exactly on the same page with Raphael. Whatever arrangements didn't matter to her so long as she left safely with Cassandra. Just as Tira was about to leave, the door slammed shut on her. Before she could get her bearings, she felt the tip of a rapier at the back of her neck. Tira suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. There was nothing she could do to escape this situation.

_Has Raphael been there all this time?!_

"Move slowly to the window." A young female voice ordered.

Without any other choice, Tira moved carefully to the moonlit window at the other end of the room. Her captor still holding her Rapier to the back of her neck.

"Right, that's far enough. Now turn around" She ordered.

Tira slowly turned around to see a young girl roughly the same age as her. She was dressed in a velvet purple nightgown that covered most of her features. She had long wavy Auburn her reaching right down her back. The moonlight gave a pale reflection on her soft, porcelain face that literally screamed of sincere innocence. Her red eyes sparkled brilliantly like rubies. Yet, she still had a rapier to Tira's throat, ready to puncture it on the slightest move out of line. Tira initially assumed that the girl was one of probably many of Raphael's Mistresses. But then another possibility bursted into her mind.

_This girl. Could she possibly be?!......._

"Why are you trespassing in my home?" The girl asked, slightly increasing the pressure on Tira's neck.

"I-Your father has captured a friend of mine. I know he has some awful things planned for her-" Tira started in a nervous tone.

"My father? Is it really that obvious? Am I really that much like him?" The girl trailed off.

Tira was right. This girl really was the daughter of Raphael Sorel. Both her voice, and the look of despair on her face made it obvious that wasn't overly joyed to carry her title. In this brief moment of weakness, normally Tira would go for a quick kill, or at least leg it. But this time, she was compelled to just observe the girl in her moment of internal grief.

"My father probably knows you're here. You should leave this place before he finds you."

"And let him torture my friend?!" Tira argued, suddenly becoming oblivious to the plight she was in.

"I'm sorry about your friend. I really am. But unless you leave now, you will share her fate!" The girl tried to reason.

"No!" Tira coldly stated.

The girl appeared to be beset by Tira's defiance. Her sword arm began to tremble slightly.

"If I try to rescue her, we _might _get captured, but then we _might _make it out....." Tira began to explain.

"But if I leave now, then my friend _will_ be tortured. I've heard the stories. No human being should have to endure that........."

"So it should be no surprise why I won't let it happen to someone I care about!" Tira boldly stated, gripping the handle of Eiserne Drossel tightly.

The girl studied the fires of determination within Tira's eyes with a troubled look. For her, the stories and rumours passed on by common folk and travellers were a sad reality she had to bear witness too. Time after time, she watched as Raphael extinguished those very same fires with other proud warriors. She watched as he turned those once proud individuals into pathetic parodies of themselves with sadistic glee.

The girl lowered her rapier, and starred longingly out of the window. She would let this female attempt her rescue, if only to prove herself right about the consequences of defying her father. However, up to this point, Raphael had lost focus on his original ambitions. The presence of the Holy Stone changed that. On one hand, he might be more driven, now that his ambitions were within reach once more. But on the other, the woman he had captive actually drove him back one their first encounter. There was a slim chance, but maybe. Just maybe, these two women might prevail against Raphael. Perhaps they might end the madness that has plagued him for so long. The girl went to a small treasure chest on a bedside table, and retrieved the holy stone it. Tira's eyes widened when she saw what the girl was holding.

"That's........"

"Yes. The Holy Stone your friend was abducted for. Both my father and the mercenaries he hired have plans for this stone." The girl explained.

"I don't know what those plans are, but I know that something like this is better off in your friends hands."

"And he just left it with you?" Tira asked.

"Yes. Which means that once he finds you, he'll know that I've betrayed him."

"But then that means-" Tira gasped.

"It means that I'm putting the last of my faith in you. Or perhaps I simply have a deathwish. We'll see." The girl trailed off emotionlessly.

"Ummm......Thanks, I guess?" Was the best response Tira could come up with.

"Go down the end of this corridor, and turn left. You'll see another set of stairs. Once you go up from there......simply follow the banging." The girl directed.

By the time the girl turned around, Tira was gone.

"I'm sorry father. But this life you've planned for me........ Is not one that I want." The girl said, turning back once more to the window.

"It ends tonight. One way, or the other."

Writer's Notes: Well, that's onother chapter in the bag. I know I was late with this one, but like most of us, I slip in and out of motivation. For the sake of a healthy word count, I didn't fill this chapter as much as I wanted to, but I should still have plenty of room within the next chapter to keep within the original story plan.

Well, it should be obvious without mentioning that the un-named girl is Amy Sorel. I haven't read into the fanfics here much, but the last time I had a proper read, I saw that Amy wasn't getting enough screen time-if any. Just like in SCIV, she's grown tired of the sheltered lifestyle Raphael has provided for her, yet in my story, she doesn't have the self-belief to break the chain herself. She knows the sort of man Raphael really is, which adds even more resentment for her sheltered lifestyle. She also knows that a confrontation between Tira, Cassandra and Raphael is inevitable, so she throws the last of her faith in them to free her and (Raphael himself) from his madness.

I'll update with another chapter at some point down that track(I will not however, leave entire years between my updates. I'm not THAT lazy)

Next chapter: "Even if there are two of you. Your chances of victory are still poor"

Soul Calibur and all affliated characters(not Sergei) are owned by Namco.


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